Machines for sewing imitation moccasin seams



March 19, 1963 H. B. FAKE 3,081,719

MACHINES FOR SEWING IMITATION MOCCASIN SEAMS Filed May 7, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Harry B. Fake 15y fi/sfltomey H. B. FAKE March 19, 1963MACHINES FOR SEWING IMITATION MOCCASIN SEAMS Filed May 7, 1962 5Sheets-Sheet 2 March 19, 1963 H. B. FAKE 3,081,719

7 MACHINES FOR SEWING IMITATION MOCCASIN SEAMS Filed May 7, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 3 3,981,719 MACHINES 1 R SEWBN ll ilTATifiN MOtZCASlN SE M"Harry B. Fake, douth Weynsouth, Mass, assignor to United Shoe MachineryCorporation, Remington, Ni,

a corporation of New .lersey Filed May 7, H62, Ser. No. 192,744 7Claims. (til. 11237) The present invention relates to moccasin type shoesewing machines and more particularly to improvements in a machine ofthe type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,304,964,granted December 15, 1942, on an application filed in the name ofFrancis R. Speight, for sewing a seam in a shoe upper in such a way thatthe threads are exposed on the finished surface of the upper but do notextend through the flesh side, so as to produce roughness inside theshoe or to require the use of a lining within the shoe. I

With the machine of the prior patent a moccasin type two-thread lockstitch seam is inserted through the beveled edges of a top piece and avamp of a shoe upper, both threads being visible on the finished orgrain surfaces of the parts and the amount of exposure inside the upperbeing at a minimum while forming a tight joint between the parts. To dothis, the parts are clamped rigidly throughout an extensive area aboutthe sewing point and are forced firmly into an apex defined by angularlydis posed surfaces within a work support extending in the direction offeed. To clamp the parts, a presser having a tip formed by external workengaging surfaces disposed at the same angle as those in the worksupport acts primarily on portions of the parts at some distance fromthe apex of the work support to crowd the beveled edges of the partstogether at the apex. In this way the thickness of the beveled edges ofthe parts at the apex is expanded, the beveled edges being compressed byforces directed parallel to the planes of the parts, so that the tensionin the threads passing through the beveled edges will not be resisted bythe grip of the work support and presser. By reason of the parallelcompressing action full advantage also is obtained from the tension inthe thread in producing a tight joint.

The presser of the prior machine has intersecting its angularly disposedwork engaging surfaces two transverse notches spaced apart the distancebetween successive stitches, so that a curved hook sewing needle and acurved awl may pass readily through the beveled surfaces on the partswithout necessarily penetrating the inner surfaces thereof, the notchesproviding space for the material displaced by the needle and awl. oftransverse notches there is little likelihood also that the stitcheswill be pulled through the material or will cause other damage to thework.

When it is desired to insert an imitation moccasin type seam in aone-piece shoe upper rather than in a two piece upper, it has been foundthat the machine of the Speight patent, which causes parallelcompression of the work is detrimental to uniform insertion of stitches,especially where the threads do not pass through the inner surface ofthe upper. Furthermore, it has been found that if an attempt is made toinsert such seam without penetrating the inner surface of the upperthere is a greater tendency for the stitches to pull through thematerial, thus rendering the upper unfit for its intended use.

An important object of the present invention, therefore, is to providean imitation moccasin type shoe sewing machine, which is capable ofoperating with extreme uniformity and reliability on a one-piece shoeupper without the drawbacks noted above, particularly where the threadsin the stitches do not penetrate through or Through the use i SfidlfilhPatented Mar. 19, 1953 ice are not exposed within the upper. Otherobjects are to provide a curved awl which is particularly well adaptedfor machine sewing of a one-piece shoe upper with an imitation moccasintype scam, the stitches of which do not penetrate both sides of theupper nor are otherwise exposed within the inner surface of the upper.

To these ends the features of the invention reside in the use of acurved hook needle sewing machine having a work support provided withwork engaging surfaces disposed with relation to each other andextending in the direction of work feed to form an angle substantiallygreater than in any similar prior machine, the angle within the worksupport subtending at least while an internal presser acting to hold thework in place has a tip with work engaging surfaces disposed at asubstantially smaller angle than that in the work support, thus causingthicknesswise pressure to be concentrated on the upper at the apex ofthe angle in the work support rather than along areas of the upper at adistance from the apex in the work support. In this way the penetrationof the needle and awl alone causes thicknesswise expansion of the workat the apex of the angle in the work support while leaving the upperwithin the line of the seam free to recede from the apex as a result ofcompression at the apex.

To assist in accuracy of stitch formation, and uniformity and alignmentin the threads in the stitches exposed outside the grain surface of theupper, a feature of the invention resides in the use of an awl havingsubstantially greater width than thickness radially of its curvature anda cutting blade consisting of two oppositely exposed edges extending atan angle to each other and merging with parallel ridges on the awlfacing in the line of the seam. Preferably, the exposed edges on thecutting blade are formed in part by two angularly disposed relativelyflat triangular faces outside the curvature of the awl, which faces arejoined together along a line running from a point at the extreme tip ofthe awl and between two separate curved surfaces extending along theshank of the awl outside its curvature, said separate curved surfacesbeing joined to the angularly disposed faces at an appreciable distancefrom the awl point.

These and other features of the invention as hereinafter described andclaimed will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in .which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective detail view, partly broken away and in section,looking from the right front of portions in a moccasin type two-threadlock stitch shoe upper sewmg machine embodying the features of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a View in right side elevation, partly in section on anenlarged scale as seen from the line IIII in FIG. 7 of a work supportand a presser for clamping a shoe upper in the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view in right side elevation of a curved awlemployed in the machine;

FIG. 4 is an outer view of the end of the awl looking in the directionof the arrow IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an inner View of the awl looking in the direction of the arrowV of PEG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the awl looking at its point;

FIG. 7 is a sectional plan view taken along the line VII-VII of theparts shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the outer side of an ornamentalseam inserted by the machine; and

FIG. 9 is a similar view showing the inside surface of a shoe upperafter being sewn by the machine.

Heretofore, where an imitation moccasin type seam is to be insertedwithout causing the threads to be exposed inside a shoe upper, handsewing methods have been resorted to, no reliable machine having beendeveloped for this form of seam, up until the present.

The illustrated machine is similar in many respects to that of theSpeight patent above referred to and has a curved hook needle 2, acurved work feeding awl 4, a horn 6 having a presser 8 secured thereto,a work support 10, and a rotary hook 212 for carrying loops of needlethread 1'4 about a locking thread 16. To stiffen the needle it isprovided with a needle guide 17 cooperating with a guard 18 acting toprevent entanglement of the thread with the needle guide. The awl isactuated from beneath the work to form a perforation for the needleacting from above the work to follow the awl as it leaves the work. Whenthe awl withdraws from the Work it is back fed the length of a stitchand again penetrates the work. Thereafter, the awl and work move in thedirection of feed together to a position with the awl perforation inline with the needle ready for its next work penetrating stroke as inthe machine of United States Patent No. 1,169,909, granted February 1,1916, in the name of Fred Ashworth.

In the machine of the Speight patent the work support has work engagingsurfaces disposed with relation to each other and extending in thedirection of work feed to form an angle of 60 with each other and aninternal presser cooperating with the work support has external workengaging surfaces similarly disposed and extending in the direction ofwork feed. The Speight machine is intended to operate upon the parts ofa two-piece moccasin type upper prepared by beveling a top piece andvamp along their complementary edges, so that they may be sewn togetherwith stitches penetrating the bevel faces of the parts as close aspossible to shoulders formed at the inner edges of the parts. Inperforming such an operation it is essential to have the partsthroughout substantial areas surrounding the sewing point compressedfirmly against each other, especiatlly when operating upon soft, thickwork, thus preventing the stitches from being pulled through thematerial during insertion of a seam or separation of the joint betweenthe beveled edges after insertion of the seam. For this reason the worksupport and presser of the prior patent are formed to compress and clampthe material of the parts firmly throughout a large area about theapexes formed by their work engaging surfaces and especially along themargins of those surfaces, thus tending to squeeze the beveled edgesfirmly together at the apexes and into the paths of operation of theneedle and awl. In this way the tendency for the parts to separate or bedisplaced one from another is strongly resisted. To provide space forexpansion of the material in a thicknesswise direction the work supportof the patent is composed of two separate blocks secured together with anumber of replaceable spacing plates between them, the edges of theplates facing the needle and awl being set back at the apex of the anglefrom the angularly disposed faces of the block, so that the work piecesunder compression may expand into the crevice-like space thus provided.

Unlike the machine of the prior Speight patent, the present machinebeing intended only for operation on single piece uppers, has no problemof separation or displacement of parts operated upon, so that it isdesirable to press the work most intensely in a thicknesswise directionalong a line connecting the apexes of the angles formed by the Workengaging surfaces of the presser 8 and the work support 10. Theremainder of the work outside a narrow bend along these apexes is givenlimited freedom to flex and expand thicknesswise as much as required inthe presentation of the work to the machine, thus facilitating formationof a smooth uniform seam with evenly spaced stitches. To these ends thework engaging surfaces of the present work support form between them anangle of at least 90, while those of the internal presser are disposedat an angle substantially less than that between the surfaces of thework support.

As illustrated, the work support it? has its work engaging surfacesdisplaced by an angle of 100. The difference between the angles of thework support and presser tends to concentrate pressure on the upper atthe apexes of the angles between their surfaces, the work engagingsurfaces of the presser 8 being separated by an angle of only leaving adifference from the angle of the work support of at least 20. Also, toretain a reliable and predetermined configuration in the upper,indicated at 19, in FIG. 2, no set back spaces or spacing plates areutilized between the blocks forming the work support. Accordingly, thereis no opportunity immediately along the apex of the angle between thework engaging surfaces of the work support for the work to expand or tobe compressed heavily during clamping, the outer surface of the clampedupper forming the bend engaging firmly the configuration of the worksupport throughout the apex of the internal angle. However, suchconfinement of the work does not prevent ex ansion along the surfaces ofthe work support and presser in other directions not inconsistent withuniformity and proper location of stitch formation.

As in the machine of the Speight patent the present work support haslower and upper openings 20 and 22 through which the needle and awl passWhile penetrating the work. Because the angle between the work engagingsurfaces of the work support is greater in the present machine than inthe prior one, the areas of intersection between these openings and thework engaging surfaces of the work support are greater than thecorresponding needle and awl openings in the work support of the priormachine. Accordingly, there is relatively greater space provided forexpansion of the work through these openings than in the prior machine,so that in spite of greater pressure exerted by the presser at its tipon the work the material of the upper has a greater opportunity tobulge, as shown in FIG. 2, into the needle and awl openings, the otherportions of the upper between the presser and the work support beingleft relatively free to adjust themselves without any tendency to formwrinkles or pleats in their surfaces.

Because the needle and awl do tend to displace material during theirpenetrating strokes the pressure in the present machine retains thetransverse needle and awl receiving notches 24- and 26, as in themachine of the prior patent. The awl is so located with respect to thework support and presser that the flat cut formed by it extends throughthe work piece clear of the outer surfaces. Thus, the material of theupper displaced by the needle and awl during their passage through thework may enter these notches without causing the inner surface or" theupper to be penetrated or the thread of the stitches to be exposedinside the upper.

Another feature of the present invention which contributes materially inproducing a uniform seam with smoothly alined threads exposed on theouter surfaces of the upper resides in the use of a curved awl havingsubstantially greater width than thickness radially of its curvature anda cutting blade extending entirely across its width to split from themain body of the upper 19 during penetration a shallow bridge 28 runningparallel to the length of the apex of the bend, under which the point ofinterengagernent between the needle and locking threads in the seam arecompletely covered, thus providing substantial tolerance for variationsin the location and setting of the stitches. Furthermore, the cuttingedge on the awl insures sharp corners into which the threads in thestitches are drawn as they are tightened.

Preferably, the cutting blade is sharpened with two oppositely disposededges 39 and 32 (FIGS. 3 to 6, inclusive) extending at an angle to eachother and merging with parallel ridges 34 and 36 facing the line of theseam along opposite sides of the awl. The parallel ridges tend to openup cuts formed by the cutting edges, so that the threads may properly belocated within them. The angularly disposed cutting edges 30 and 32 ofthe awl are formed in part by two angularly disposed relatively flatfaces 38 and 49, best shown in FIG. 4. The angularly disposed faces arejoined together in an extreme penetrating point 42 at the tip of theawl, joining arched surfaces 44 and 46 along the shank of the awloutside its curvature.

In order to prevent overstressing the bridge 28 formed by the awl duringeach penetrating stroke so that the bridge may not be partially torn orotherwise displaced, there is formed inside the curvature of the awlbeginning at its point a second set of angularly disposed faces 48 and50 smaller than the faces 38 and 48 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The smallerfaces 48 and 50 extend from the point and merge with a rounded insideface 52. To prevent the awl from cutting too deeply into the material ofthe upper along the compressed bend between the apexes of the worksupport and presser and thus drive the material of the upper into theawl receiving notch 26 the point of the awl, the cutting edges andridges are spaced twice as far, radially of the awl curvature, from theouter surface of the awl as from the inner rounded face 52, as shown inFIG. 3. T o avoid further displacing the upper into the notch 24 duringthe penetrating stroke of the awl, the faces 33 and 41} are joinedtogether in a relatively sharp elongated plow line 54 (FIG. 4), whichprevents deflection of the awl from its proper curvature while enteringand passing through the material of the upper. Thus, the plow line 54and the faces 38 and 40 reduce the tendency for the awl to increase itsradius of curvature as the result of reaction to work penetration.

To assist still further in formation of an acceptable seam simulatingclosely that of a true moccasin scam, the width of the awl 4 between itsparallel ridges 34 and 36 is made several times the diameter of theneedle 2 and the sizes of the needle and locking threads 14 and 16 areof a gage commensurate with that of the needle. When the point ofinterengagement between the needle and locking threads is drawn beneaththe bridge 28 into a centralized position and tightened the thicknessesof the threads at the points of interengagement produce distinct raisedareas 56 with wrinkled depressions 58 between them as in acharacteristic hand sewn moccasin seam. In so doing each thread isbrought into parallel relationship with itself inside each slit. Thus,the appearance of the seam is greatly enhanced by a row of enlargements,one beneath the central exposed area of each bridge and a desiredornamental result is readily obtained, the tension on the thread andother characteristics of the machine adjustments enabling thedistinctive characteristics of the ap pearance to be increased in adesirable manner.

The inner surface of the upper shows no portion of the seam inserted butslight depressions 6% may appear as in FIG. 9 opposite the side of thematerial from the raised areas.

To enable the work to be guided conveniently in the machine, anadjustable mirror 62 is secured to the machine frame behind the sewingpoint at the side of the work support first engaged by the upper. If theupper is marked with the shape of the seam to be inserted the reflectionof the work renders it more convenient to follow it accu rately.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and anembodiment of the invention having been particularly described, what isclaimed is 1. A machine for inserting :a two-thread. lock stitchmoccasin type scam, the threads of which enter and emerge from the sameside of a single piece of material without penetrating through the otherside, said machine having a work support provided with work engagingsurfaces disposed with relation to each other and extending in thedirection of work feed to form an angle of at least and stitch formingdevices including a curved hook needle movable across the angle of saidsurfaces, in combination with an internal presser having a tip with workengaging surfaces disposed at an angle substantially less than thatbetween the work engaging surfaces of the work support to concentratethicknesseswise pressure on the work piece along a line connecting theapexes of the angles between the work engaging surfaces of the worksupport and the presser.

2. A two-thread lock stitch machine for sewing a moccasin type seam, asin claim 1, in which there is provided a curved work feeding awl havingsubstantially greater width than thickness radially of its curvature anda cutting blade extending entirely across its width to split, from themain body of the work piece during penetration, a shallow bridge bywhich the point of interenga-gement between the threads in the seam iscovered.

3. A two-thread lock stitch machine for sewing a moccasin type seam, asin claim 2, in which the cutting blade of the awl consists of twooppositely disposed edges extending at an angle to each other andmerging with parallel ridges facing in the line of the seam alongopposite sides of the awl.

4. A two-thread lock stitch machine for sewing a moccasin type seam, asin claim 3, in which the angularly disposed cutting edges of the awl areformed in part by two triangular faces joined together in a point at theextreme tip of the awl and joining an arched surface along the shank ofthe awl outside its curvature.

5. A curved work penetrating awl for use in a twothread lock stitchmoccasin seam sewing machine, having substantially greater width thanthickness radially of the awl curvature and a cutting blade consistingof two oppositely disposed edges extending at an angle to each other andmerging with parallel ridges of the awl facing in the line of the seam.

6. A curved work penetrating awl for a two-thread lock stitch moccasintype seam sewing machine, as in claim 5, in which two angularly disposedtriangular flat faces outside the curvature of the awl are joinedtogether along a line running from a point at the extreme tip of thea-wl and between two separate curved surfaces extending along the shankof the awl outside of its curvature and said outside surfaces beingjoined to the angularly disposed faces.

7. A curved work penetrating awl for a two-thread lock stitch moccasintype sewing machine, as in claim 5, in which the awl has an innerrounded face, and the cutting edges of the awl and the ridges are spacedtwice as far radially of the awl curvature from the outer surfaces ofthe awl as from the inner rounded face.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,521,853 Augustine Jan. 6, 1925 2,304,964 Speight Dec. 15, 19422,399,159 Ashworth Apr. 30, 1946 2,408,738 Crawford Oct. 8, 1946

1. A MACHINE FOR INSERTING A TWO-THREAD LOCK STITCH MOCCASIN TYPE SEAM,THE THREADS OF WHICH ENTER AND EMERGE FROM THE SAME SIDE OF A SINGLEPIECE OF MATERIAL WITHOUT PENETRATING THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE, SAIDMACHINE HAVING A WORK SUPPORT PROVIDED WITH WORK ENGAGING SURFACESDISPOSED WITH RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OFWORK FEED TO FORM AN ANGLE OF AT LEAST 90* AND STITCH FORMING DEVICESINCLUDING A CURVED HOOK NEEDLE MOVABLE ACROSS THE ANGLE OF SAIDSURFACES, IN COMBINATION WITH AN INTERNAL PRESSER HAVING A TIP WITH WORKENGAGING SURFACES DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THATBETWEEN THE WORK ENGAGING SURFACES OF THE WORK SUPPORT TO CONCENTRATETHICKNESSESWISE PRESSURE ON THE WORK PIECE ALONG A LINE CONNECTING THEAPEXES OF THE ANGLES BETWEEN THE WORK ENGAGING SURFACES OF THE WORKSUPPORT AND THE PRESSER.